More power where you need it.

First and foremost, clipless pedals are designed to hold you tightly to your bike. But they're also the power transfer point from your feet to the drivetrain. And when you factor in rotation weight and energy dissipation, a pedals stiffness-to-weight ratio becomes a crucial component of watt conservation. Not surprisingly, though, Look Cycle designed the new Keo 2 Max Carbon pedals to provide a wide, stiff platform, so that none of your watts go to waste.

These pedals are used by almost all of the hard-hitting pros on Omega Pharma, Vacansoliel, and Astana, as well as by domestic pros on US teams: Kenda 5 Hour Energy, and Optum Pro Cycling. And the reason for this popularity is about to become absurdly evident.

The original Look Keo pedals were a crowd-pleaser, but the carbon bodies had the tendency to wear quickly. The solution was simple, yet brilliant. Look placed a stainless steel wear plate atop the center of the carbon pedal. This eliminated wear. But Look did more than add a plate to its pedals, it redesigned the shape so that it's wider. In fact, the Keo 2 Max is among the widest clipless pedals around. This 57mm platform width increases the surface area that contacts the cleats. However, it doesn't impact the pedals' cornering clearance, as the Keo 2 Max is narrower on the bottom. Surprisingly, we find that they corner better than the original Keo design.

Look also went to town on its axles. It increased the diameter to 12mm on the crank side for greater stiffness, and it kept the stack height to a minimum, at 15.7mm. There are two roller bearings on the crank side, and a needle bearing on the outside of the spindle that ensures a smooth running pedal, season after season. And to further ensure this, the bearings are hidden behind two seals.

The Keo 2 Max Carbon pedal bodies were made with injected carbon fiber, and the wear plates and axles are stainless steel. The Q-Factor is 53mm, and it's able to be increased to 55mm with the use of a 2mm spacer that goes between the spindle and the crank (sold separately). The release tension is also able to be adjusted from 12-18Nm. There are three float options for the cleats, zero float (Black) cleats, 4.5-degrees float (Grey) cleats, and 9-degrees of float (Red) cleats. These pedals come with the Grey Keo Grip cleats.The Look Keo 2 Max Carbon Pedals weigh in around 122g per pedal or 312g per pair (including cleats and hardware).

The Look Keo 2 Max Carbon Pedals are available in one size and in the colors Carbon and Black/white ltd.

Here's what others have to say...

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Great evolution of 'original' clipless

Look started it all .. and here is a beautiful version of their original design with refinements and improvements that are sometimes a bit subtle, but appreciated. As for the guy who 'fidgets' trying to get into them, many pedals systems have their 'learning curve'.. For example, Campy pedals; I've used them for years and it's still a crapshoot finding the notch to clip in, but once there they are without equal and are my pedals of choice. Same for LOOK pedals; the earlier versions often unclipped without warning, which in a standing climb or sprint, made things a bit hairy! But these KEOs are reliable and have never surprised me, which is the most important thing. My one small complaint is that they use an Allen wrench to get on and off, rather than the usual pedal wrench. I suppose this is for preventing over-torquing, but it's a hassle when traveling, as there isn't always a big Allen key available, while 15mm wrenches are common. Nonetheless, I highly recommend these !!

Comment on norp1150514's review:

Not my favorite but still a great pedal.

Familiarity:
I've put it through the wringer

I switched to these after having ridden Shimano Ultegra pedals for a year and while they're a great pedal, they're not as awesome as the Shimano set.

When starting off, the resting spot for the top of the pedal is at approximately 2:00. It makes it incredibly tough to snap in when I'm worried about the cars around me and subsequently I end up fidgeting through the intersection.

My girlfriend also owns these and reports the same experience. They're still a good set once you get going, but for the money I recommend looking at a different pedal.